Chambers's encyclopædia; a dictionary of universal knowledge . ion Pcrrysodactyla,the animals of which are characterised by having anodd number of toes. The genus was founded byOwen on the fragmentary remains of two speciesfound in Lower Eocene strata ; a third sjiecies fromthe same beds has been since described by himfrom more complete materials, imder the namePliolophus valpiceps; he considers it only a sub-genus, and as we can see no characteristics to separateit generically from the other two, we place it hereas a true hyracothere. The fossil was discoveredin a nodule from the Roman cement
Chambers's encyclopædia; a dictionary of universal knowledge . ion Pcrrysodactyla,the animals of which are characterised by having anodd number of toes. The genus was founded byOwen on the fragmentary remains of two speciesfound in Lower Eocene strata ; a third sjiecies fromthe same beds has been since described by himfrom more complete materials, imder the namePliolophus valpiceps; he considers it only a sub-genus, and as we can see no characteristics to separateit generically from the other two, we place it hereas a true hyracothere. The fossil was discoveredin a nodule from the Roman cement bed of theLoudon Clay near Harwich. It is the most completeEocene mammalian fossil of the London Clay. Itconsists of an entire skull and a portion of the restof the skeleton, including the right humerus andfemur, a great part of the left femur, the left tibia,and three metatarsal bones, ap])arently of the samefoot, besides fragments of pelvis, ribs, and head (fig. A 1 and A 2) is 5 inches long,and 2 inches 2 lines broad; it is slender, tapeiing. llyracotheriuui : A 1, A 2, skull of llyracotherium (Pliolophus) vtilpicejis (one-third naluViU size). A 3, molar loolli (natural size), B 1, 15 J, sl;iill of //. leporinum (one-third natural size). 13 3,molar tooth (natural size). C 1, portion of lower jaw and tooth of H. cunicuhis (naturalsize). C 2, molar tooth (natural size). gradually from the zygomatic region to the muzzle ;the upper outline is straight; the bony rim of theorbit is incomplete behind for abont one-fifth ofits circumference. The narrow skull and incom-plete orbit ally it to the ; the sameform of orbit occurs also in the rhinoceros, and moreexactly in the tai)ir. The straight contour of theskull, and the structure of the nasal aiierture, shewaffinities with the horse and hyrax. The thirdmolar of the upper jaw (fig. A 3) shews the structure HYRAX—HYSSOP. of the teeth. The teeth, as well as the formof the lower jaw, tell plainly of the herb
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1868
